Far-right activist and Idaho gubernatorial candidate Ammon Bundy claimed an "ambush" following his arrest at a hospital Saturday morning.
Bundy rose to prominence for leading the 2016 occupation of Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. He is known for his anti-government political positions and has become a divisive figure among conservatives.
On Saturday, police in Meridian, Idaho, located near Boise, arrested Bundy after he and his "followers" showed up at St. Luke's Meridian Medical Center and refused to leave, the Meridian Police Department wrote in a statement.
The arrest followed a dispute between police and a family over their 10-month-old child's health.
On March 1, the child was admitted to a hospital after suffering from malnourishment. The child was able to gain weight while under medical care, but during a follow-up appointment medical experts determined the child lost "a significant amount of weight," the statement said.
After other follow-ups where the parents did not show up, Meridian police arrived at their home to check on the child, but they refused to let the officers check on them. By the time that officers received a warrant, the parents and child left the home, according to the statement.
Officers eventually located the vehicle and brought the child to the hospital for medical care Friday night, police said. Saturday morning, Bundy and his followers showed up, prompting the arrest. He faces misdemeanor charges of trespassing and resisting officers.
In a statement posted to Bundy's campaign account, he accused police of an "ambush arrest," writing that he was "standing for parental rights and against medical tyranny."
His campaign wrote that he went to the hospital after hearing the baby, named Cyrus, was "medically kidnapped."
"Ask yourself this, if they can revoke your parental rights and take custody of your child over a missed doctor appointment, what else can they do and how did they get this power?" the statement said.
For Immediate Release pic.twitter.com/pbxP38RA17
— Ammon Bundy (@RealABundy) March 12, 2022
Bundy is challenging incumbent GOP Governor Brad Little, who has received backlash from some in the Republican Party who believe he is not conservative enough. He has received endorsements from Roger Stone and former Libertarian Party presidential nominee Ron Paul.
Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin is also challenging Little, and she received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
Bundy originally announced his campaign as a Republican before announcing his plan to run as an independent over what he called the "filth and corruption" of the GOP establishment. He has previously found himself at odds with some in the Republican Party for criticizing Trump's immigration policies and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and calls to defund the police.
